Petunia-Calibrachoa plant named ‘Kakegawa S88’

ABSTRACT

‘Kakegawa S88’ is a new  Petunia - Calibrachoa  cultivar particularly distinguished by having a burgundy flower color and a mounding growth habit.

Genus and species: Petunia-Calibrachoa Hybrid.

Variety denomination: ‘Kakegawa S88’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Petunia-Calibrachoa and hereinafter referred to by the cultivar name ‘Kakegawa S88.’ It is characterized by having a burgundy flower color and mounding growth habit. The new cultivar originated from a hybridization in Kakegawa, Japan in May of 2003. The male parent was a proprietary hybrid Calibrachoa line named ‘04-44’, having a burgundy flower color, medium flower size and a semi-creeping plant habit. The female parent was a proprietary hybrid Petunia line named ‘04H-54’, having a pinkish-red flower color, medium flower size and mounding plant habit.

In May 2003, the new Petunia-Calibrachoa variety was developed using an intergeneric cross between a Petunia hybrid and a Calibrachoa hybrid species. After crossing the parent lines, 1,980 ovules were removed from flowers on the female parent and cultured by standard ovule culture techniques. In December 2003, 15 intergeneric hybrid plantlets were transplanted to soilless media for greenhouse culture and acclimatization.

In March 2004, 12 plants out of 15 hybrid lines were vegetatively propagated to produce rooted cuttings. In April 2004, the 12 plants were transplanted to an open field and evaluated for flower color and plant growth habit through July. In August 2004, ‘Kakegawa S88’ which has a bright burgundy flower color and a mounding plant growth habit was selected and vegetatively propagated. In September 2004, 10 cuttings were evaluated in an open field through November 2004. The selection subsequently was named ‘Kakegawa S88’ and found to retain its distinctive characteristics through successive asexual propagations.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The following are the most outstanding and distinguishing characteristics of this new cultivar when grown under normal horticultural practices in Kakegawa, Japan.

-   -   1. Burgundy flower color; and     -   2. Mounding plant growth habit.

DESCRIPTION OF PHOTOGRAPHS

This new Petunia-Calibrachoa plant is illustrated by the accompanying photographs which show the plant's form, foliage and flowers. The colors shown are as true as can be reasonably obtained by conventional photographic procedures. The age of the plants at the time of the photograph is 8 months.

FIG. 1. shows overall plant habit.

FIG. 2. shows the mature flowers.

DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW CULTIVAR

The following detailed description sets forth the distinctive characteristics of ‘Kakegawa S88’. The data which define these characteristics were collected from asexual reproductions carried out in Salinas, Calif. The detailed description was taken from plants grown under greenhouse conditions for approximately 8 months from transplanting of rooted cuttings. Color references are to the R.H.S. Colour Chart of The Royal Horticultural Society of London (R.H.S.), 4^(th) Edition.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

-   Classification:     -   -   Family.—Solanaceae.         -   Species.—Petunia-Calibrachoa hybrid.         -   Common name.—Petunia-Calibrachoa. -   Parentage:     -   -   Male.—Hybrid proprietary Calibrachoa breeding line ‘04-44’.         -   Female.—Hybrid proprietary Petunia breeding line ‘04H-54’. -   Plant description:     -   -   Life cycle.—Tender Perennial.         -   Form.—Decumbent, branching.         -   Habit.—Spreading.         -   Height.—18.0 cm to 22.0 cm.         -   Spread.—70.0 cm to 80.0 cm. -   Propagation:     -   -   Type cuttings.—Vegetative cuttings.         -   Time to produce a rooted cutting.—4 weeks.         -   Time to bloom from propagation.—8 to 10 weeks. -   Environmental conditions for plant growth: The terminal 1.0 to 1.5     inches of an actively growing stem was excised. The vegetative     cuttings were propagated in four weeks. The base of the cuttings     were dipped for 1 to 2 seconds in a 1:9 solution of DIP 'N GROW (1     solution: 9 water) root inducing solution immediately prior to     sticking into the cell trays. Cuttings were stuck into plastic cell     trays having 98 cells, and containing a moistened peat moss-based     growing medium. For the first week, the cuttings were misted with     water from overhead for 20 seconds, one time per hour. For the     second week, the cuttings were misted one time every 2 hours for 10     seconds. After that time, the cuttings were misted occasionally     until sufficient roots were formed. Rooted cuttings were     transplanted and grown in 20 cm diameter plastic pots in a glass     greenhouse located in Salinas, Calif. Pots contained a peat     moss-based growing medium. Soluble fertilizer containing 20%     nitrogen, 10% phosphorus and 20% potassium was applied once a day or     every other day by overhead irrigation. Pots were top-dressed with a     dry, slow release fertilizer containing 20% nitrogen, 10% phosphorus     and 18% potassium. The typical average air temperature was 24° C. -   Stems:     -   -   Stem color.—RHS 144B (Yellow-green).         -   Anthocyanin color.—Slightly present on stems, RHS N77C             (Purple).         -   Pubescence.—Medium.         -   Pubescence color.—RHS N155A (White).         -   Stem description.—Round.         -   Stem diameter.—2.0 cm to 3.0 cm.         -   Stem length.—Approximately 2.0 cm from soil line to first             node.         -   Internode length.—3.0 cm to 5.0 cm. -   Leaves:     -   -   Arrangement.—Alternate.         -   Shape.—Elliptical.         -   Apex.—Obtuse.         -   Base.—Attenuate.         -   Margin.—Entire.         -   Surface.—Dull.         -   Surface pubescence.—Slight.         -   Pubescence color.—RHS N155A (White).         -   Venation.—Pinnate.         -   Length.—3.0 cm to 5.0 cm.         -   Width.—1.0 cm to 1.5 cm.         -   Color.—Upper surface: RHS 137B (Green). Lower surface: RHS             138B (Green).         -   Fragrance.—Absent. -   Flower:     -   -   Flowering habit.—Indeterminate.         -   Flower type.—Solitary.         -   Flowering requirements.—Will flower so long as day length is             greater than 12 hours and temperature exceeds 13° C.         -   Duration of flowers.—5 days.         -   Corolla.—5 petals, fused.         -   Corolla shape.—The flowers are funnel shaped with five             fissures and a shallow, yet slight, indentation of the petal             tip at the midvein.         -   Fragrance.—Absent.         -   Pedicel.—Color: RHS 144B (Yellow-green) with RHS N79B             (Purple) at flower base. -   Flower buds:     -   -   Surface.—Pubescent.         -   Length.—2.5 cm.         -   Diameter.—0.5 cm.         -   Shape.—Ovate.         -   Color.—RHS 149C (Yellow-green).         -   Peduncle.—Length: 2.0 cm. Diameter: 1.0 cm. -   Flower description:     -   -   Flower depth.—3.0 cm to 3.5 cm. Flower tube length.—2.5 cm.         -   Flower tube diameter.—1.0 cm.         -   Flower diameter.—4.5 cm to 5.5 cm.         -   Calyx.—5 petals fused below the middle.         -   Sepals.—Shape: Elliptical. Apex: Obtuse. Margin: Entire.             Color: RHS 137B (Green).         -   Petal.—Shape: Spatulate. Length: 1.5 cm to 2.0 cm. Width:             1.0 cm. Apex: Truncate. Margin: Entire. Texture: Glabrous.             Color: Limb color: Upper surface: RHS N66A (Red-purple) with             RHS N77A (Purple) veins. Lower surface: RHS N61C             (Red-purple) with RHS N77A (Purple) veins.         -   Corolla tube color.—Inner: RHS N77A (Purple) throat, inner             tube is RHS 17C (Yellow-orange) with RHS N77A (Purple)             veins. Outer: RHS N78C (Purple) with RHS N77A (Purple)             veins.         -   Fragrance.—Absent. -   Reproductive organs:     -   -   Stamen number.—5, free.         -   Stamen color.—Anther color is RHS 4C (Yellow). Filament             color: RHS 4C (Yellow).         -   Pollen color.—RHS 4B (Yellow).         -   Ovary.—Superior.         -   Placenta arrangement.—Central.         -   Pistil number.—1.         -   Pistil length.—1.5 cm.         -   Stigma color.—RHS 86A (Violet).         -   Style length.—1.4 cm.         -   Style color.—RHS 149C (Yellow-green). -   Fruit/seed set: No fruit or seeds produced. -   Disease and Insect Resistance: ‘Kakegawa S88’ has excellent     resistance to rain, heat and drought. A temperature below 10° C. is     not optimal. Plants are susceptible to Botrytis, powdery mildew,     various stem and root rots, and certain viruses, like Tobacco Mosaic     Virus and Impatiens Necrotic Spotted Virus. Plants can be infested     with aphids, leafminer, whitefly and various Lepitopdera.

COMPARISON WITH PARENTAL LINES AND KNOWN CULTIVARS

Calibrachoa ‘Kakegawa S88’ is a distinct variety of Calibrachoa due to its white flower color and creeping growth habit. ‘Kakegawa S88’ is distinguished from its parents mainly by flower color and plant growth habit as shown in Table 1 below.

TABLE 1 Female Parent: Male Parent: Characteristic ‘Kakegawa S88’ ‘04H-54’ ‘04-44’ Flower color Burgundy Pinkish-red Burgundy Plant growth habit Mounding Mounding Semi-upright

‘Kakegawa S88’ is most similar to the variety ‘Dancalipet’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 16,063) however, there are differences in petal color and growth habit as described in Table 2 below.

TABLE 2 Characteristic ‘Kakegawa S88’ ‘Dancalipet’ Limb color, RHS N66A (Red-purple) with RHS 74A (Red-purple) upper surface RHS N77A (Purple) veins Limb color, RHS N61C (Red-purple) with RHS 75A (Purple) lower surface RHS N77A (Purple) veins Plant growth Mounding Compact habit 

1. A new and distinct cultivar of Petunia-Calibrachoa intergeneric hybrid plant as shown and described herein. 